Eye of the Cobra
by TheDarklighter
Summary: The Winchester brothers head for Seattle to investigate a cult that suspiciouly involves something more than black magic. Meanwhile, Alec is captured by the cult when he discovers their secrets and Max goes looking for him.Crossover with Dark Angel.
1. Chapter 1

**Eye of the Cobra**

Chapter One

The little bell tinkled when he pushed the door open. The lady behind the counter looked at them with anticipation. They were probably her first customers since the coffee house was deserted as it was early in the morning.

"Hey, sweetheart," Dean said in his most charming Dean Winchester smile.

She blushed and smiled back. It always worked on the ladies.

"What can I get you," she asked, her eyes gleaming.

"Plain black coffee."

"Er…is Mr. Williams here?" Sam spoke for the first time.

"Yes, would you like me to call him?"

"Yeah, thanks."

She left and within a minute she came back with Dean's coffee and an old man of about fifty years old was behind her.

Sam cleared his throat. "Mr. Williams, we're Ian's friends and we were wondering if you could tell us exactly what happened while you were there in Blackwood forest. The newspaper said that you-"

Dean cast his eyes around the restaurant. He walked to a corner where there was a bird cage. A colorful parrot stared at him innocently as he approached the cage.

"Hey Fuzzy," he spoke to it.

"Whazzuuup!" the bird replied.

Surprised, Dean moved closer to the cage, his face showing amusement.

"Hey Sammy it speaks!"

"I can see that," Sam answered, rolling his eyes.

He went back to interviewing the old man.

"You're a cute fella, aren't you?" Dean said

He picked up one of the chilies that had been placed in a small compartment at the edge of the cage and waved it at the parrot. Beady eyes followed the red chili and the bird snapped its beak, taking a good bite on his fingers.

"Ouch! It bit me!"

Sam gave Dean a scornful look.

"You might want be more careful with the bird, it bites," Mr. Williams ventured.

"Thanks," Dean replied sarcastically.

He frowned at the bird. He was about to say something when his cell phone rang.

"Yeah, Bobby?"

The parrot made loud noises whilst he conversed with Bobby as if to purposely annoy him. Bobby asked him what the noise was.

"It's just some stupid bird that's pissing me off, never mind."

He talked for a few more minutes before slipping the phone back to his pocket.

"You're a Meany, you know that," He said to the parrot.

"Arsshhooouule!"

"What!"

The bird clucked mockingly at him. Dean turned only to find Sam standing right behind him; his lips tightly shut because he was suppressing a laugh. Dean snorted and walked out of the coffee house. Sam followed and as soon as the door was closed he burst out laughing heartily.

"Sammy! Not funny!"

Sam laughed out more.

"Dude, will you stop it!"

"Dean…the bird's got more class than you!" He said amid gales of laughter.

Dean smacked him on the head.

"What did you do that for?"

"I'll give you another one if you don't shut up!"

Sam sneered at him. The two brothers walked to the Impala. Dean sat on the hood while Sam stood, his face contorted in a funny gesture because he was trying hard to stifle a laugh.

"So what did the old guy say?" Dean asked as he sipped his coffee.

"Give me a minute."

Sam turned and walked a few steps before laughing out loud. Dean let out an exasperated sigh, then grinning smugly, he threw his empty plastic cup at him. Sam looked back and the cup hit him squarely on the cheek. Now it was Dean's turn to laugh.

"Not fair! I'm not the one to blame."

"You asked for it!"

"Okay fine. I'll tell you. Mr. Williams said that an animal attacked Ian. He didn't see it but he thinks it was a bear. But the marks we saw from the other victims on the photographs show that there's something fishy going on there. We should check out the place."

"So it's not a werewolf and it's not a wendigo."

"No."

Dean nodded and the two got into a car.

"Bobby called."

"Another case?"

"Yes. He talked about a cult involving black magic and he's suspecting demonic involvement. Secret rituals have been taking place and apparently people have been missing. That's no coincidence."

"You think there's some kind of human sacrifice?"

"I don't know. It could be."

"Where?"

"Near Blackwood forest, Seattle."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Max mounted her bike and brought it to life. She glanced at the street shops, the people passing by and finally at Logan's concerned face.

"You're sure about this," he asked her, "maybe he just needed some time off."

"Alec won't take off like that. He would have called us. I'm sure, they took him."

"Where are you going to?"

"Blackwood forest. He wrote that in his notebook which I found from his locker. I need to find him Logan. Something's not right."

Logan nodded. "I'll call you if you don't get back by nightfall. Take care."

"I will," Max replied, smiling reassuringly.

Sighing deeply, Logan watched as the bike disappeared into a corner…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sunlight filtered in through the entangled branches. A light breeze swished the leaves back and forth. A chilly mist cloaked the forest.

"Find anything?" Sam asked.

"No."

The dry leaves crunched under their feet as they walked. A shrill cry of a bird echoed in the dense forest. Dean gazed around and saw the bird. It gave another cry before soaring up into the sky.

"I think it's getting closer," Dean mumbled.

The wind was now blowing in gusts and the forest was getting darker. Sam heard a faint rustle in the bushes. He turned, straining his ears. A dark silhouette moved among the trees. He looked around but the figure was gone.

"It's watching us," Sam said.

Dean's gaze drifted among the trees, his gun raised. An eerie sound whistled through the trees.

"Do you see it?" Dean asked.

All of a sudden, a black furry creature leapt out of the bushes and pounced on Dean. It was about two meters high and it resembled a dog, only its mouth revealed a set of razor-sharp fangs and the black eyes were ablaze with rancor. By sheer reflex, Dean shielded the attack by pressing his riffle diagonally to himself. Sam fired nonstop at the dog-like creature. It yelped in pain and shoved Dean to a tree. Sam aimed for its head but the creature pushed the gun out of his hands with a surprising speed. Menacingly, it howled, the black eyes glaring at him threateningly. Sam stepped back, his eyes fixed on the lethal fangs. The creature snarled greedily and stood poised for attack.

"Sorry, dinner is cancelled Doggy!"

Sam looked up to see Dean standing. The creature turned and Dean did not hesitate to pull the trigger. Three bullets lodged on its chest. The impact was enough to bring it down but the beast reeled backwards and fell on Sam. It landed heavily on his legs. He tried to move but he could not. Dean rushed to his aid. Unexpectedly, deadly claws slashed his arm. Another dog-like beast had appeared and with one swift movement, it grabbed Dean and pulled him back into the bushes.

"DEAN!"

He could not see him. His brother was gone. Gone into the dark forest with a predator ruthless and unforgiving…

The beast dragged him along, its paw clutching Dean's leg. A groan slit its way out of his throat. His arm was bleeding but there was little he could do to break free. It suddenly stopped and shoved him away, growling and snarling furiously. Dean forced himself to his feet, his eyes searching for any weapon he could use. He had a knife, but it was too small to do enough damage. A jagged twig not far from his feet seemed like the only option. The beast advanced, the voracious eyes watching its prey, its enemy. Dean dived for the long twig and plunged it into the creature's belly as it leapt on him. A chilling yelp of agony escaped from its foul mouth. Dean fell on his knees, his energy diminishing. He had lost blood maybe too much, from the wound. The creature staggered but then it slowly moved towards Dean. It wailed in fury but it was not ready to lose its prey for it had never lost a battle between predator and prey…

Max moved through the trees, searching for any clues or a sign of life. She took out Alec's notebook and thumbed through the pages until she found the one she needed. There was a drawing of a snake, a cobra that had raised its head as if ready to strike. Alec had drawn it and below the drawing the words 'Blackwood Forest' stood out in black. What did the drawing mean? A symbol? What happened to him?

"Just where are you Alec?"

A sharp cry reverberated in the forest. Max listened before running to the direction where the noise emanated from. She did not stop until she came across a clearing girdled with tall trees. A dog-like creature was approaching a man sprawled face down on the ground. It was going to kill him. Without a second thought, she took out her crossbow. A black arrow pierced the thick skull right above the eyes of the beast. With a resounding thud it collapsed and gave a strained wail and then it was no more.

Max walked towards the man. A necklace with a strange pendant caught her eyes. She picked it up; it probably belonged to him. She knelt beside the man and turned him. The man gave a soft moan and lapsed into unconsciousness. She shook him gently but he lay still.

"Alec! Wake up! Alec!"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Sam pushed the dead body off him with every ounce of his energy and with a final heave it moved. After half an hour of cursing, hauling and yelling he was more than angry. Hell he was furious. He stretched his legs and blessed them for working perfectly. It seemed a miracle that he had got out without a scratch but the awful realization that Dean was out there with the beast left a bitter lump in his throat.

"Dean!"

The only replies were his echoes. He walked to where the creature had dragged Dean. There were blood droplets on the dry leaves. His jaws tightened, his fists clenched. He followed the track of the blood droplets until he came across the creature that had wounded Dean. It was lying dead on the grass. Dean had to be somewhere near. Looking around for any clues, he saw a roof of a shed partly hidden by the foliage. Dean had to be in there…

**Somewhere in Seattle**

It was dark inside, almost pitch black and the silence was unsettling. Three days in the confined room and he felt like his mind would snap. He wasn't used to this; sitting mutely listening to his own breathing and contemplating the consequences of his actions. He was born a warrior, raised as a soldier and staying idle had never been part of the training. A light was flipped on and Alec squint his eyes when the blinding light filled the room. The door of his solitary cell was swung open with an irritating creak and two men clad in suits came in.

"Get up!"

He could have taken the crap out of them within a minute but the handcuffs, _why did they have to handcuff him and tie his legs?_

Boldly he stood up and smirked spitefully. He was unceremoniously shoved out of the cell. They took him through a corridor dimly lit by torches on either side. It looked like he was in some kind of a dungeon or an underground building. There was a door at the end of the corridor. They stepped into a room. There were two men, one was sitting at the furthest corner in the shadow and the one standing near a table had jet black hair and a cunning face. He had seen him while he was in Manticore but he couldn't remember his name.

"So we meet again X5-494," the man standing spoke quietly.

"What do you want?" Alec huffed, his eyes boring into his with an unflinching stare.

The man smiled as he looked at him and signalled to the men that had brought him there. Grinning viciously, they punched him and pushed him to the centre of the room. Alec rubbed the blood from his nose with the back of his hand and laughed raucously.

"What, you can't do it yourself?" he asked.

"X5-494, the cocky and arrogant scum who thinks he can play games with anyone," the man drawled, the wicked smile still plastered on his face.

"You bastard!"

Alec would have plucked the smile out of his face and shove it down his throat had his hands been free to move.

"Too bad your curiosity got you into trouble. Do you know what I do with people who put their noses where they don't belong?"

"Sacrifice them to whatever friggin' thing you guys are worshipping," Alec replied bitterly.

"Ah, so you know what we're doing. In any case you're right but before that, I have a little surprise for you," he said. "Bind him to the chair!" he commanded the men.

The man went out and when he came back he was holding a heated rod using a pair of tongs.

"Hold him!"

The next thing he knew was the excruciating pain at the back of his neck. The bastard had branded his skin in the shape of a snake just like the one he had drawn in his notebook. That had been the cult's emblem. Not even once did a scream escape from his mouth. The man wanted him to beg or cry but he would get no such pleasure from him.

"That, X5-494, is the Eye of The Cobra," the man said.

"You're gonna pay for this!"

The other man in the shadows stood up and walked towards him.

"What shall I do to him Master?" he asked to the other man who had icy blue eyes.

The other man stared at him and Alec was sure that his eyes were gleaming black. For some reason, those cold black eyes gave him the creeps. He had never seen someone do that.

"His time is not yet ready. Lock him up," he replied coldly.

"You're gonna pay for this!" Alec repeated as the men grabbed his arms and yanked him out of the room.

He had to get out of this place. Sooner or later they were going to kill him unless he found a way out before it was too late...

**Blackwood forest**

"Alec can you hear me?"

There was no reply. His eyes were tightly shut, only the regular rising and falling of his chest reassured her. He was breathing steadily but the wound, it needed medical care. Earlier, she had found an abandoned shack and for fear of encountering more of those dog-like creatures, she dragged him to the shack, lain him on a table, called Logan and nursed his wounds as best as she could. Max pulled the chair closer to the table. She looked at his face, it looked peaceful. She brushed a hand over his blonde hair and sighed pensively.

"What did they do to you?"

Max took out a knife from her pocket and clasped the hilt as she examined it. The blade was sleek and sharp and the words 'I Fear No Evil' were etched on it near the handle. He had been holding it as the last attempt to defend himself before he unwillingly passed out.

Dean groaned almost inaudibly, his face creased in agony. A sharp pain cut across his hand like a hammer hitting on metal. He opened his eyes, his vision swaying slightly before he could make out the figure of a woman holding a knife. Immediately, his hunter instincts kicked in and in a quick movement he rose up, wrested the knife from her grasp and pinned her against the table.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"It's me Alec…Max," she replied.

She had not expected the attack and it had startled her. He slackened his grip, gave her an assessing look before finally releasing her.

"Who's Alec?"

The woman looked at her with a bemused expression. "You gotta be kidding me, they didn't mess your brain, did they?"

She watched him closely, trying to figure out why Alec was acting strange. Dean was not sure what she meant.

"I'm not Alec. My name is Dean."

Max frowned as she pondered over what he had just said. Was he joking? But the look on his face showed that he was serious. _Was he another clone? _she thought. He resembled Alec so much. What the hell was going on? Alec was nowhere to be found and then suddenly another copy just pops up out of nowhere.

He knelt down and put the knife safely in its hidden place in his boot. His father had given him the knife and he had treasured it all his life. It was John who had curved the words 'I Fear No Evil.' The same words were embedded on the Colt in Latin.

"I have to get my brother," he said as he glimpsed the wound on his arm. It hurt like hell but at least it had stopped bleeding and it looked clean. The woman must have taken care of it while he was asleep. He glanced at her kindly.

"You're hurt and there could be more of those creatures out there. I've called my friend, he will bring help."

"I need to find Sammy."

He was worried about Sam. God! What if the beast he had shot wasn't dead? He hoped Sam was alright. He had to see that he was okay.

Max could see the determined look on Dean's face. It was the same resolute look that Alec would have when his mind was set on doing something.

"Then I'll help you find him," she replied.

He nodded and smiled weakly. They were hardly near the door when it was suddenly thrust open.

"Sam!"

"Dean!"

"You okay little brother?" Dean asked as Sam stepped into the shack.

Sam smiled. "I'm fine Dean. You're the one who's hurt."

"I'll be fine."

For the first time he seemed to notice the woman that was standing near Dean. He looked at him questioningly. Dean cleared his throat.

"Err Sammy, meet Max. She just saved my life."

**A/N:** This is my first crossover story and I'm a little worried about it. How did I do? Please tell me. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry for taking long to update. So much has been going on at home and I've been very busy. I'm really sorry. Also there are little changes that I've made in chapter two. I've edited the part where Max assumes that Dean is the donor. Thanks to timetowaste247 for stating that it would be better if Max thinks of him as another copy. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.

**Chapter Three**

**Seattle, Logan's Apartment  
**

"Sorry," Sam apologized to his brother when he saw Dean wince as he dabbed the wound on his arm with cotton ball soaked in peroxide.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Dean scoffed.

That was the fifth time Sam had said that and it was starting to get on his nerves. Sure, he was grateful but he never liked being babied around.

"Nice place," Dean commented.

"Yeah."

Max had insisted that they should stay at her friend's apartment at least until Dean's wound had been taken care of and reluctantly they agreed.

"I still think you should see a doctor just to make sure there are no infections."

The wound on Dean's arm was swollen and raw and it looked like it would take a couple of days before it could heal completely.

"No, I'm okay Sammy," Dean replied stubbornly.

"Come on Dean, you look like shit."

"Thanks."

"I'll buy you a ticket to Metallica's rock concert. I promise."

"Nope."

"I'll polish the Impala every single day if you agree."

Dean pouted his lips thinking carefully. Sam was trying to bribe him into going to the hospital and he was putting on that puppy dog face.

"No, no hospital," Dean said with finality. "So are you going to stitch my arm or what?"

Sam sighed with resignation. "Fine I'll do it. You know you're so hard-headed."

"Yep, that's part of my charm."

He rolled his eyes. Max stood in the doorway, glancing at the brothers. She smiled when she overheard their conversation. Stepping into the living room where Sam and Dean were seated on a couch, she cleared her throat to signify her presence. Logan came in as well.

"So Dean, what's your designation?"

"What? What do you mean?"

Max examined his face cautiously. He clearly seemed astounded and confused. She walked behind their couch and with her keen eyes, she looked at his neck.

"No bar code," she announced.

"You're sure?" Logan asked.

"Surprisingly, yeah. He's not one of us."

"Will someone explain what's going on?" Dean asked when he noticed all eyes were on him.

Max sat on one of the chairs and glanced at Logan. He nodded silently.

"Ever heard of Manticore?"

Sam narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to remember something.

"Yes, some kind of a government program that was shut down. The newspaper report didn't say much."

"Right. Well what you may not know is Manticore secretly specialized in creating human prototypes. It bioengineered births of hundreds of children who are genetically enhanced with superior intelligence, strength, adaptability, speed and survival instincts to make the perfect soldiers."

"Like cloning?" Sam asked.

Max nodded.

"Whoa, whoa! You're joking right? I mean I appreciate all the help but I'm not buying it," Dean said, his face impassive.

"I know this seems far-fetched but just listen," she paused, her eyes fixated on the brothers. "Yes there was cloning, only it wasn't done for some science revolution or scientific advancement. Manticore did that to create a killing machine, an army of transgenics for their own greedy ambitions. The transgenics were subjected to extreme military training and forced to live a secluded world. Luckily, when the catastrophic bomb blast occurred, some of the kids managed to escape."

"So are you one of them?" Dean questioned curiously.

"Yes. Each one of the transgenics have bar codes at the back of their necks showing their designation. Mine's X5-452. See?"

Max held back her dark hair and tilted her head slightly so that they could see the bar code. She looked at them. Through out the conversation they remained still and their faces evoked a mixture of awe and curiosity.

A thought slipped into Dean's mind. Max had called him Alec when he had woken up. Was she really telling them the truth?

"And your friend Alec?" he asked.

Max dropped her gaze to look at the window. Alec was still missing and she had no clue of his whereabouts except for the notebook. These people, do they even believe her?

"Dean," she sighed, "Alec is your clone, that's why I thought you were him when I found you. He may look a little bit younger but he's the exact replica of you."

Dean scrunched his forehead, his eyes unfocused. He was trying to make sense of this conversation that seemed anything but realistic.

"Look, I know this sounds incredible but I'm not lying. I'm telling you the truth because...because I trust you guys."

There was silence as each one of the Winchesters pondered over what was said. Then with a dismissive wave of the hand and a frown, he said, "Well I thought I was the only one with these mega irresistible good looks."

Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head disbelievingly while Max gave a wry smile.

"God, you even have the same attitude," she said.

Logan who had been quiet for a while spoke, "Max if he doesn't have the bar code then he could be the donor."

"I know. The question is how did you DNA end up in Manticore?"

Dean gazed at them. "I don't know. I've only been to Seattle once when I was a kid but that's it."

"What were you doing in Blackwood forest?" Logan questioned.

"We went camping," Sam replied.

"Yeah and then we got attacked by those filthy scumbags."

Sam hoped that they were convinced. He wasn't comfortable with the idea of telling them that they were hunters.

"I still haven't found Alec," Max said as she stood up. "I have to go. See you guys later."

She left. Logan looked back at the door thinking of something.

"Gentlemen, excuse me."

With that, he went out to follow her. Sam arched his eyebrows and shrugged.

"That was fast. So what do you think?"

Dean cuckled softly. "I think she's hot."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The night was becalmed. On top of the Space Needle the honking of the cars, the screeching of tires and the mechanic droning of the vehicles were drowned by the drifting air. Her dark curls were blown back by the caressing wind. She always came here when she needed a break, when she needed to mull over a certain issue. The hangout always helped her unwind. Max cocked her head towards the sky. The moon shimmered, its light bathing the city with its tantalizing power.

So much had been going on lately. She was becoming more distant with Logan, Alec's disappearance had somehow devastated her and the meeting with the Winchester brothers especially with Dean, seemed more of strange than mere coincidence. It had been three days since Alec went missing. Alec would not leave on his own will without a goodbye. That, she was sure of. He had told her he was glad that he was getting settled and there were no conflicts between them. In fact she had developed a good friendship with him. Max knew she could trust him with her own life. The truth was, she missed him.

She put her hands in her jacket pocket and her fingers touched a chain. It was the necklace she found in Blackwood forest. Taking it out, she whispered, "Time to get you back to your owner."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Two hours of tapping at his laptop doing research had exhausted Sam. Stretching his hands above his head, he glanced at his brother who was slouched on a couch opposite him, sleeping soundly. So far the only thing he found was that all the missing people in Seattle had no connection. He switched off the computer and lay back on the sofa. A sharp pain above his temple made him hiss. Everything happened so fast and within a few minutes, he was gasping for air, his vision swirling dangerously and a headache cut its way through his head mercilessly. He hold onto the table for support.

"Dean," he groaned.

Without realizing it he collapsed on the floor, his hands clutching his brow, his eyes tightly sealed. He knew what was to follow. He was going to have a vision.

They were in a large room with moonlight streaming down from large windows. There were two men standing before a man who looked like Dean. One of them had black eyes. Sam immediately recognised him as a demon. He flicked his hand and Dean was shoved onto a wall and held by some invinsible force.

"Relax he's just going to do a little test X5-494," the other man beside the demon spoke.

Those numbers, they sounded like Max's designation. So the man held to the wall had to be Alec! Alec tried to move but in vain. The demon approached him and touched his head. Alec started trembling uncontrollably. A flashing light emerged from the demon's hand before he started chanting something in latin.

"Enemy of my past and future, warrior of light and darkness, reveal yourself. Damnation shall come. Humanity shall perish. At the darkest hour, the war would be between us. Only the strong shall survive."

There was another glowing light which dissipated within the briefest second. Alec fell to the floor, heaving and panting.

"It's not him. He's not the one I'm looking for," the demon's voice echoed.

Dean was on his knees beside Sam, a look of concern visible on his face.

"Sammy." He shook him gently.

Sam opened his eyes, the headache still throbbing painfully.

Sam, are you ok-?"

The door was swung open and Max came in.

"Hey guys, I came to-" She stopped when she saw Sam writhing on the floor with Dean calling him.

"Is he alright?" She asked.

Sam's gaze moved towards her face and he gripped her arm.

"Max, I know where he is. I know where Alec is," he said hoarsely.


End file.
